Farmington Just Backed 4 Local Businesses With Matching Grants
TLDR
Farmington's EDA and City Council approved four matching MicroGrants to local businesses on June 15.
The 2026 program gives up to $10,000 per business, with $50,000 set aside city-wide.
Winners: Farmington Greenhouse, Salaam Global Flavors grocery, Chill Studio, and Farmington Gymnastics & Cheer.
The grocery one's a big deal — the city says it's Farmington's only dedicated grocery store.
About $21,000 is still up for grabs this year if you run a Farmington business.
So here's some good news for local shops. On June 15, the city handed out four matching grants to Farmington businesses — and the list runs from a greenhouse to an ice cream shop to the town's only grocery store.
It's part of Farmington's MicroGrant program, which got a refresh for 2026. The short version: the city will match what a business spends on a real project, up to $10,000, with $50,000 available across town this year. Businesses put up their own money too, then show the EDA the finished work. Stephanie Aman, the city's economic development coordinator, framed it as a way for local owners to move forward on projects that help them grow. Let's break down who got what.
Salaam Global Flavors — the grocery Farmington's been missing
This is the one that hits closest to home for a lot of folks. Salaam Global Flavors, a new grocery and deli at 115 Elm St., got a $10,000 grant. Why it matters: the city says Farmington doesn't have a single dedicated grocery store, so for daily food runs, there's been no neighborhood option. Salaam's trying to fill that gap with fresh, frozen, and international foods, plus ready-to-eat deli meals.
Here's a wrinkle — the storefront doesn't have a commercial kitchen yet, so the business has been cooking out of a licensed food truck. The grant money goes toward the stuff that turns a basic market into a real grocery: commercial refrigeration, freezers, hot-holding equipment, and a modern checkout system. The owners are also setting aside shelf space for local farmers, so nearby growers get a year-round spot to sell. As more homes go up around town — like the 215-home Sawyer Glenn project near the high school — a local grocery option only gets more valuable.
Farmington Greenhouse — a bigger greenhouse and warmer winters
Farmington Greenhouse, over at 519 Willow St., landed the other $10,000 grant. The plan is a brand-new greenhouse to grow more plants, plus high-efficiency heaters to replace aging units in the existing structures.
For you, that means more locally grown stuff — annuals, perennials, veggies, herbs, hanging baskets, and native and pollinator-friendly plants — without leaning so hard on plants trucked in from elsewhere. The city says it also helps the greenhouse keep doing its workshops and seasonal events. The project's total cost ran somewhere in the $20,000–$28,000 range, so the grant covers a chunk, not the whole thing.
Chill Studio — more ice cream flavors downtown
Chill Studio, the family-owned ice cream shop downtown (115 Elm St., Suite D), got $4,257. It's a smaller grant for a fun reason: a second dipping cabinet.
That extra freezer case lets them carry a lot more flavors — including dairy-free and peanut-free options for folks with allergies or dietary needs. The shop's in its second season under new owners and recently moved to a new spot, and the city says its crowd has been growing fast. If you're already wandering downtown for something like Top the Tater Days, this is a nice little upgrade to have nearby.
Farmington Gymnastics & Cheer — room for more kids
Rounding it out, Farmington Gymnastics & Cheer (315 Elm St.) was approved for up to $4,574 to buy new gymnastics equipment. The gym runs rec classes, preschool programs, and competitive gymnastics and cheer teams for kids ages 2 and up — and enrollment keeps climbing. The new gear is about making room for more kids as the program grows.
The Bottom Line
Add it up and the city handed out $28,831 on June 15 — which means there's still roughly $21,000 left in this year's MicroGrant pool. If you own a Farmington business and you've got a project in mind, you can read the rules and apply on the city's Incentives & Grants page. It's the kind of quiet, local-first investment the city's been leaning into lately, alongside bigger swings like the Rambling River Park greenway grant. (Credit where due: the four awards were first reported by Sun ThisWeek.)
FAQ
Wait, does Farmington really not have a grocery store?
That's what the city says — no single dedicated grocery store. Salaam Global Flavors is trying to be that neighborhood option, which is a big part of why it got the grant.
How much money is left in the program?
About $21,000 for the rest of 2026, since $28,831 of the $50,000 has been handed out.
Can any Farmington business apply?
Pretty much — you have to be a Farmington business, meet the program rules, and put up your own matching share. The city reviews applications as they come in.
Do these businesses get a check right away?
Not exactly. It's a matching, reimbursement-style program, and recipients present their finished project to the EDA. So the work happens first.
What's a matching grant, in plain terms?
The city pays part of your project cost only if you pay the rest. So a $10,000 grant means the business is spending its own money too — the city just helps push it over the line.
